Adoption Assistance Program (Laity)

If you have a desire to bring an adopted child into your family, The Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church (TAC) wants to help you do it. The adoption assistance program will reimburse eligible employees for certain expenses related to legally adopting a child.

Who is eligible

Active clergy and lay employee participants of the Group Health Benefits Plan can participate.

How adoption assistance works

The program will reimburse you for qualified expenses, up to a maximum of $5,000 for each child adopted. Foreign adoptions are included. Qualified expenses include:

Reasonable and necessary adoption fees

Court costs and attorney fees

Travel expenses (including meals and lodging)

Home study expenses

Birth parent counseling

Adoptive parent preparation and training

Social work services

Medical expenses for the mother (as allowed by law)

Other expenses directly related to your adopting a child

Expenses must not be related to:

Any violation of federal or state law

Any surrogate parenting arrangement

The adoption of your spouse’s child

You must submit reimbursement claims within one year of the date the adoption becomes final. If an adoption is not completed, claims must be submitted within one year after the final expense is incurred.

To request reimbursement, complete and submit an Adoption Reimbursement Form, a copy of the adoption decree, and copies of itemized receipts, to:TAC Benefits Office5215 Main St.Houston, TX 77002

Eligibility of any adoption expense for reimbursement will be determined by the Center for Clergy Excellence. All decisions are final.

A 1099-Misc. form will be issued by the TAC Benefits Office for all reimbursements in excess of $600 under this program.

You may be able to claim a tax credit for qualified expenses or exclude a portion of the adoption assistance benefit from your income for tax purposes. Tax information can be found in IRS Topic 607 - Adoption Credit and Adoption Assistance Programs athttp://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html. Because everybody’s tax situation is different and tax laws may change, consult a tax advisor regarding your own situation.